NOAA’s Critical Contributions to US National Security

The Council on Strategic Risks asserts that NOAA provides indispensable data and infrastructure for US military operations, particularly in the Arctic and for naval navigation. The agency's science diplomacy strengthens ties in the Indo-Pacific and Caribbean, while its domestic services protect lives and livelihoods from extreme weather and support the US seafood industry. The document highlights that recent layoffs of approximately 880 staff members across six offices risk undermining these security and economic contributions.

• NOAA provides critical data on ocean salinity, acidification, water temperature, and currents that are essential for Naval operations, specifically affecting sonar accuracy, underwater communications, and submarine navigation.
• The agency supports US military readiness through the National Weather Service and the Defense Meteorological Satellite Program, which provide the observations necessary for three to seven-day operational weather forecasts for the Department of Defense and the Air Force.
• NOAA's science diplomacy efforts in the Indo-Pacific, Caribbean, and Central America help the US build resilience in vulnerable nations and maintain international relationships, particularly in areas where nations are being courted by China.
• The agency is vital for domestic economic security, supporting 2.3 million fishing jobs and nearly $300 billion in seafood industry sales, while also leading efforts to combat illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing, including by the Chinese distant water fishing fleet.
• Recent workforce reductions, involving as many as 880 people across all six of NOAA's offices, threaten the agency's ability to provide essential services and risk harming US homeland security and global influence.

APA

The Council on Strategic Risks (2025). NOAA’s Critical Contributions to US National Security. https://councilonstrategicrisks.org/2025/03/05/noaas-critical-contributions-to-us-national-security/

Chicago

The Council on Strategic Risks. NOAA’s Critical Contributions to US National Security. 2025. https://councilonstrategicrisks.org/2025/03/05/noaas-critical-contributions-to-us-national-security/.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |author=The Council on Strategic Risks |title=NOAA’s Critical Contributions to US National Security |date=5 March 2025 |url=https://councilonstrategicrisks.org/2025/03/05/noaas-critical-contributions-to-us-national-security/ |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{thecouncilonstrategicrisks2025noaas, author = {{The Council on Strategic Risks}}, title = {{NOAA’s Critical Contributions to US National Security}}, publisher = {The Council on Strategic Risks}, year = {2025}, month = mar, url = {https://councilonstrategicrisks.org/2025/03/05/noaas-critical-contributions-to-us-national-security/}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }